


A Light in the Dark

by Cobralingus



Series: 12 Days of Firefly [2]
Category: Firefly, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Night Vale is a planet, Seriously the crackiest piece of crack I've ever written, crackfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 05:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19056148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cobralingus/pseuds/Cobralingus
Summary: It was just a job. Sure, it was a job that involved visiting the weirdest gorram planet in the 'verse, but it wasjust a job.





	A Light in the Dark

“I don’t know about this, Captain. Heard some weird things about the people who live out this far.” Zoë looked away from Mal as she spoke, considering the cargo bay full of canvas sacks. “I mean, do we even know what we’re hauling out here? Could be restricted. Could be stolen.”

“Could be a lot of things, Zoë. What it definitely is, though, is well-paying. You remember the last time we got a job as paid half up front?”

“No, sir, I surely do not, and don’t you think that’s suspicious in itself? Who the hell pays that kind of money before making sure their cargo gets where it’s going?”

He shrugged, putting on a front of confidence. “Don’t much matter to me as long as the price is right.”

Zoë was gearing up for another attempt at convincing when her husband’s voice, crackling from the intercom, interrupted her.

“Captain, Zoë, we’re picking up a signal from the planet. Could be our contacts.”

Mal and Zoë exchanged a long look before swinging up into the cockpit.

“What have we got?” asked Zoë, eyes sliding over the plastic dinosaurs to look at the displays under Wash’s hands.

“Not sure. Looks like a voice transmission. It just started.”

“Well, let’s hear it,” demanded Mal.

As Wash flipped the switch, Serenity’s cockpit was filled with a rich-toned voice. It seemed to speak to each of them alone, intimate and low.

“...in the dark. A light in the dark. It moves... _towards_ us. It moves in the dark, coming ever closer. Welcome to Night Vale.”

“Kill it.”

Wash and Zoë jumped as Mal’s gruff tenor broke the voice’s spell. The pilot flipped the switch off obediently and then swivelled to look at his companions.

“What in the seven little hells was that?”

“Maybe it’s a ritual thing? Welcoming all ships to the planet or something?” Wash’s voice trailed off as he saw the look on the Captain’s face. The little plastic dinosaurs suddenly became much more interesting than the conversation.

Zoë shook her head. “I say we turn back now. We can sell the whatever-it-is somewhere, keep the money. No-one will ever be the wiser. Pretty sure we won’t be the first couriers not to come back from Night Vale.”

“Now, you know we can’t do that, Zoë. We’ve got a reputation to uphold. Even if it does mean dealing with people who are at the creepy end of the scale. It’s just another frontier planet.”

“The signal’s still being broadcast, Captain,” interjected Wash. “You want I should put it back on?”

“No, but go ahead anyway.”

“...this has been the community calendar. And now, traffic. Since air and space travel are illegal for all citizens of Night Vale, the skies above our little world are clear. Or should I say, they _were_ clear. It seems, fellow citizens, that we have visitors from afar! They are come to rain down unidentified objects and mysterious goods at unfathomable cost. THEY HAVE BEEN SENT. Hide, citizens. For the love of God, hide. THEY ARE COMING. This has been... traffic.”

“Huh.” 

“Sir, we can just go. They’re obviously frightened of visitors.”

Wash said, “We’re close enough to send out a voice signal, if you want to try talking to them?”

Mal and Zoë exchanged a long, sober look. As he reached for the microphone, she pursed her lips in frustration and left the cockpit. The two men winced as they heard a door slam from deep in the ship.

“Glad I’m not the one she’s pissed at for once.”

“Don’t recall asking your opinion,” Mal said bluntly. “Night Vale, this is the freighter Serenity. We’ve got a delivery for you, if you want to send us some landing coordinates. We’ll be out of your hair as soon as we’ve unloaded and been paid. No need to worry about a thing.”

“Listeners, an update on today’s troubling invasion. Whoever, whatever, these beings are, they clearly have ways of knowing our thoughts. They even know that we have hair! I mean, we as a species. Obviously I don’t have hair, but that’s okay because Carlos likes it. Anyway. Please ensure that your government-issue tinfoil helmets are kept on at all times. There is no knowing what they might see. What… _secrets _they might learn. A contact from the Sheriff’s Secret Police has just sent me a note via carrier vulture that they expect the invaders to touch down in the desert beyond the great cliffs. You know, where the last bunch of alien invaders touched down. STAY AWAY FROM THE ALIEN LANDING SITE, CITIZENS! All knowledge of the interlopers is forbidden!”__

__“...so I’ll set her down on the alien landing site?”_ _

__“Yep. Keep the engine hot just in case we need to leave sooner than anticipated, sì?_ _

__Mal swung out of the cockpit and headed back to the cargo bay, ready to unload and put Night Vale behind him. He paused outside Jayne’s door for a moment, then reconsidered. The locals were spooked enough without introducing them to Vera. Best avoid that trouble. He resumed his brisk walk, jumping down the last few steps to stand beside Zoë. From the look on her face, he wasn’t forgiven, but she was prepared to put off her words until the job was done. As the ramp lowered, they both took up stances dating back to their pre-Unification days, the one covering the other. No telling who or what was waiting for them._ _

__“Nice and easy, Captain. No trouble.”_ _

__“That’s the plan, Zoë.”_ _

__Heavy footsteps heralded the arrival of someone Mal very much hoped was their contact._ _

__“Afternoon. You the law around here?”_ _

__“That I am. Sheriff Sam. I’d say at your service, but, well, I’m not.” They looked around the cargo bay curiously, eyes widening at the sight of the sacks. “I see you’ve brought the goods. Please deposit them in the pit at the base of the ramp.” With that, they swept back out, long coat brushing away the sand they had tracked in._ _

__Zoë and Mal exchanged another look, then shrugged in perfect unison. They grabbed a sack apiece and started hauling._ _

__There was an actual pit at the bottom of the ramp._ _

__“When you said ‘pit’, I didn’t realize you meant that quite so literally!” exclaimed Mal, catching his balance at the last moment._ _

__“Where else would you put a sacrifice to the lost gods of the unseen spaces? Honestly. And they say we of the frontiers are poorly educated. Drop the sacks into the pit, if you please.”_ _

__As the two trundled back with the next load, they caught a hint of strange music on the air. Sheriff Sam, noticing their confusion, condescendingly offered an explanation._ _

__“It’s the daily weather forecast. Cecil does such a good job of sharing the government-mandated news, don’t you think?”_ _

__“Sure…” replied Zoë, unsure whether agreement was expected or not._ _

__Finally, the last sack had been safely deposited, the Sheriff had handed over the balance of payment, and Wash was taking the ship off the planet and back to sanity._ _

__“And so, friends, we have survived another invasion. The lost gods are appeased, only half of our fortune lost to the stars, and the invaders have gone along with it. Take off your tinfoil helmets, hold your loved ones close, and shout your gratitude into the unfeeling void. And as always, good night, Night Vale. Good night.”_ _


End file.
